Teacher arrested for attempted murder

[Bottomofthebarrel]

This week a teacher at my DD’s secondary school was arrested for attempted murder. He stabbed a woman in the head and neck in broad daylight, and I believe he was only unsuccessful in killing her because other people intervened. She is in a critical condition in hospital, so he could be looking at a murder charge. This has all been in the news, including the BBC.

This man was teaching my own child until very recently. She was given an after school detention by him for being very slightly late to his lesson, and the detention was just him and her sat in a room. That sends shivers down my spine now. I can’t get the whole thing out of my head.

This must be so disturbing for all the kids at the school. I feel that the school are potentially going to struggle more with behaviour control from now on - this man was employed as one of their role models so I can’t help but feel they’ve lost the moral high ground. Not to mention the effect on those who are in their exam years and are now minus a subject teacher.

How the fuck does someone like that become a teacher? I must say in the last 9 years since my DC started secondary, I’ve come across a few - all of them male - teachers who have got my back up and seem to be definite ‘power tripping know it all’ types, and not particularly bright to boot. There’s another male teacher in another local school who was in the news, having to pay £200,000 damages to his neighbour after a childish bullying campaign which went on for years.

Is this the best we can do? I get teaching isn’t the most attractive profession, but it actually terrifies me that these people are supposed to be guiding and leading our children, sometimes on a one to one basis. My worry is that with the current shortage of teachers, and desperation to fill vacancies, the standards are going to sink even lower.

This isn’t a general teacher bashing thread, there are many truly wonderful ones out there, and I know it’s an incredibly difficult job. Just feeling very shaken by what has happened this week. My DD really didn’t like this man and I assumed it was her being a stroppy teen, now I feel awful for not taking her seriously.

I dont have a school age child so it not gonna bother me.

Yes that's why there are people queueing up to train as teachers. Oh no hang on a minute they aren't ...

I really can't imagine that any student would behave badly just because one of their teachers did worse, that's quite a stretch I think.

Not a few sadly. The overwhelming majority.

This is a teacher, swearing at children and multiple allegations of bullying. Teachers are human some are bullies.

I think the issue is the wording of the OP’s thread can be seen as coming from a slightly weird angle.

Also you then get some posters saying no men should be allowed to be teachers, school should have done more, they should have known the teacher was likely to try and kill someone.

I can understand OP feeling shocked by what has happened, especially when that person has been around your DC, and you put your trust in school that your DC will be safe, and suddenly one of those people you trusted your DC with has turned out to have done something like this.

I assume school will have to be careful what they say in their communication, the presumption of innocent until proven guilty.

I am sure they will be offering some pastoral support for those who need it.

The attitudes of pupils will differ. I have a friend who is a teacher who worked in a school where a pupil was murdered (not on school premises) by a stranger. Was all in the local news. School brought in a counsellor for a few days after the incident. A number of pupils were obviously very upset by what had happened, but others went along to the counsellor to get out of a lesson and have a laugh.

I am not sure what additional checks schools can do. If he had a track record at school of being violent or threatening violence towards pupils or staff and nothing had been done, then obviously they would have a problem, but that would be the case even if the teacher hadn’t committed a violent crime outside of school.

I’m sorry but that is a crazy comment. You really think it sends a message to kids that stabbing someone is acceptable? The fact that he’s been arrested and all of his colleagues will be deeply upset means nothing? I work in the NHS and there have been a few stories about rogue doctors over the years-it really doesn’t mean their behaviour is condoned by anyone. You really need to tell your kids to brown time for their lessons not saying that the fact a teacher has been arrested for a violent crime is the school sending a ‘wrong message’ and losing ‘the moral high ground’.

Because I don’t. Not at this stage. There is nothing to suggest any wrongdoing from any other party, so why go looking for it. He didn’t murder her in the school, he didn’t murder a student. The school are not related yet, so why look for a link that doesn’t exist? It’s proportioning blame to people (who will be suffering a lot more than the parents) unnecessarily, at this stage. Should something arise during police interviews then of course then questions can be asked. But you don’t have to demand of every murderers employers, friends and relatives why they didn’t know this man was a fucking maniac.

The husband of a headteacher near me killed her and their child. Teachers and their spouses are real people. Yes maybe children may act up after an event like this happens but the school should handle that promptly.

Vetting is hard because what if he had no prior criminal record. Which I’m sure as he’s working with children

Very sad and disturbing, obviously it’s going to affect people who knew him and the kids he taught. Yes he’s a teacher but that doesn’t stop him from being human, all humans are capable of this, a mental health episode? Jealousy? Domestic violence?
we don’t really know the circumstances that lead to this event and he should be treated the same as anyone else would be. I don’t think his behaviour that day means your dc was at risk whilst in detention with him, or that any other child was at risk.

I can think of at least two of teachers from my youth who went to gaol and one psychopath whose wife killed herself [allegedly]. Nothing new here.

The victim was a teacher at a school in Bath. Possibly his partner/ex-partner. Just an awful awful situation and ridiculous to think the school has lost the moral high ground.
however i do think minimising attempted murder to “domestic incident” wasn’t the best choice of words but appreciate the school are trying to distance the actions from the school.

I am not sure what additional checks schools can do. If he had a track record at school of being violent or threatening violence towards pupils or staff and nothing had been done, then obviously they would have a problem, but that would be the case even if the teacher hadn’t committed a violent crime outside of school

Exactly. Apart from DBS checks which only show past behaviour, and references which indicate past performance, there is no way the school could have predicted this. They cannot question people about their home lives as that would be intrusive and inappropriate. Even IF they did some kind of psychometric testing, they are pretty easy to fill out as it's obvious what kind of answers they are looking for. Its a bit like when you are applying for a visa and they ask if you intend to carry out terrorist activities - noone is going to put yes to that, even if that is their true intention.

Because I don’t. Not at this stage

So you don’t think the school will have communicated anything precisely because there will be questions.

He didn’t murder her in the school, he didn’t murder a student. The school are not related yet, so why look for a link that doesn’t exist?

I haven’t said a link does exist but I think it’s bizarre to suggest that because the attempted murder happened to a non student off site that the school community won’t have questions.

We will have to agree to disagree.

Anyone can commit murders from any profession but I do wonder at the relevant checks made especially on people like Wayne Couzens.

There’s a case in the news of a female horse trainer who stabbed her husband, does this mean my daughter won’t listen to her riding instructor now?

You must be really shocked op as must the whole school. But you’re not making much sense, I assume because you are so shocked.

He’s NOT a murderer FFS - the victim is alive and in a stable condition. It’s GBH/DV. The children were never at risk.

It’s horrible and vicious crime: I hope the victim is able to recover and that he gets the longest possible prison sentence - but the OPs child was not at risk. If we follow your line of reasoning, children should live in fear of every male teacher, or simply every male, they encounter in case someone they know hits his wife/partner.

I think the Wayne Couzens thing is slightly different because there were lots of very concerning red flags there that were completely ignored by the police (he flashed at women right beforehand and nothing was done). If there were similar red flags here then the school are absolutely culpable for not investigating them.

He’s NOT a murderer FFS - the victim is alive and in a stable condition. It’s GBH/DV

Wow that is really minimising!

It’s GBH/DV

well he’s been charged with attempted murder so…

That's a terrible idea. Who needs a drama llama as a teacher? That really won't help.

If he's charged and doesn't go to prison and keeps his job then yes that sends the message that it's acceptable.
Other than that it's a ridiculous statement

Nope - as the rest of my quote states had you not cherry-picked- but in response to the OPs position, she is over reacting. Her child was not at risk. And it is not ‘minimising’ to correct someone who is talking about murder. The facts as presented in the media are that there is no murder, and that the community at large is not at risk.

Absolutely. He will never work in teaching again now anyway.